Nearly every U.S. state maintained Medicaid and CHIP coverage last year
Posted by MatthewWright on Jan 18, 2012 at 4:20 PMNew data shows that states have largely protected their Medicaid and CHIP programs even during economically tough times, which is great news for millions of needy kids and families. Though nearly every state has had to close daunting budget gaps…
Voices supports health reform’s “individual mandate”
Posted by MatthewWright on Jan 18, 2012 at 6:28 AMLast week, Voices for America’s Children joined an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of the minimum coverage provision, otherwise known as the individual mandate, in the health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act…
The candidates will debate in Florida, but will children come up?
Posted by rheine on Jan 17, 2012 at 12:44 PMNaples Daily News this weekend ran an excellent piece discussing our new report that shows only 2 percent of presidential debate discussion has involved children’s issues. Florida is the next primary state after South Carolina and could be decisive…
Floridians: Be heard in this month’s presidential debates!
Posted by rheine on Jan 13, 2012 at 12:42 PMIn little more than a week, the presidential debates will come to Florida. Every candidate will promise a better future for our children, but how many will go deeper into the issues facing children and families — problems like education,…
Arkansas moves up in education ranking; achievement gap persists
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Jan 12, 2012 at 6:13 PMThe public school system in Arkansas received a promotion in Education Week’s annual ranking of state education policies, moving from sixth in the nation to fifth. Arkansas was praised for aligning its education standards, so that learning is consistent as…
The case for fluoridation
Posted by Asha Sutton on Jan 10, 2012 at 6:00 PMVoices member Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire made the case for fluoridation today before legislators. Executive Director Ellen Fineberg argued against HB 1416, a New Hampshire bill that would prevent communities in the state from fluoridating their water supplies.
…
Sec. of Education: No Child Left Behind “still has flaws that need to be fixed”
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Jan 9, 2012 at 4:22 PMThe controversial No Child Left Behind education law made progress toward school reform but has its own flaws that must be fixed, according to the U.S. secretary of education. Secretary Arne Duncan credits the law with exposing achievement gaps among…
An oral health win for kids in West Virginia!
Posted by Asha Sutton on Jan 6, 2012 at 4:13 PMGood news for children in West Virginia: they’ll soon have greater access to oral health services. Due to the great work of Voices member West Virginia KIDS COUNT and its partners, that state will now encourage fluoride varnish treatment,…
NAACP challenges barriers to the vote
Posted by Joe Theissen on Jan 5, 2012 at 10:36 AMCivil rights defenders NAACP have released a new report challenging policies they say discourage voting in communities of color. The report, “Defending Democracy: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Rights in America,” examines the rise of new voter ID laws,…
1.2 million American kids gain health coverage through CHIP
Posted by MatthewWright on Jan 4, 2012 at 9:00 AMDespite the flagging economy, the number of uninsured children in America has decreased by 1.2 million since Congress bolstered the Children’s Health Insurance Program in 2009. And new federal aid to state governments is encouraging them to cover even more…
